Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-26
A STRANGE LOVE AFFAIR.

| A STRANGE LOVE AFFAIR.
Hector Mackinnon, the hero of the
strange story we are about 10 unfold.
story perhaps unequalled for uniqueness il
the annals Of love-was divinity student
He had just completed his fourth year o
the hall, and expected soon to be licensed
as probationer.. He was the only son o
a wealthy merchant, and had been des
tined for the ministry from his birth.
Mr.. Mackinnon, senior, was prominen
and influential adherent of one OF ou
strictest dissenting bodies, and had brough
I'D his son in the belief that there was lit
tie else good in the world outside the pal,
terry about Hector's mother, who had dice
shortly after giving him birth Some PEG
pie whispered that she bad been on the
stage before she was married, and that Mac
kinnon had fallen violently in love with
her pretty face and married the young CIR
while in the ecstacy of his passion, anG
before the cold dictates of prudence oil
| the counsel of his friends could in.
| teryene. The marriage had not been, il
was said, happy one. While the magic
| glamour OF love lasted, all went well
| when il began to wane, the angular austeri.
ties of Mr. Mackinnon's disposition became
painfully apparent to the young bride. On
| his part, he looked without sympathy, il
not indeed with positive contempt, on what
be termed the g worldly frivolities' of her
gay and joyous nature. Above all, he felt
! keenly the less of social status which the
marriage entailed on him in the estimation
of his own sect. The young wife was
| sternly forbidden to have any intercourse
with her relatives and friends: and her
| husbands sister, who was maiden lady
of very gloomy religious views, was in
stalled as housekeeper ostensibly, but
really to play propriety" to her unregen-
crate young relative. Happiness could not,
of course exist in this state of matters, and
when the grim messenger arrived with the
| fiat which dissolved the ill-assorted union,
it was perhaps relief to all.
| Brought up under terribly severe code
of social ethics, the theater, concert and
| ballroom were represented to Hector as
only so many roads toperdition and being
of an aniable disposition, and DESTROYS of
pleasing his father, he had up till now,
| when he had attained his twenty-third
year, sedulously eschewed these enticing
| forms of social amusement. 1t was not
| destined, however, that he was always to
remain in this state of innocent ignorance.
A br liant theatrical star visited the city,
and turned the heads of all-both young
and old, male and female, alike. Her
stage name was Violet Esterre-no one
knew her real name-and it was on her
exquisite delineation of Shakespearean
| tragedy that her justly earned fame rested.
| The college students were particularly
| enthusiastic in her praise, and crowded
| the theater nightly to admire her
| beauty and listen entranced to her
elocution. One evening Hector, persuaded
| by his companions, consented to ac-
company them TO hear this paragon of
passionate defamation. The play was the
| old, old story of the hapless lovers of
Verona Such hold had her imperson-
| alton of Juliet taken of the public that
| they insisted on it being performed night
after night to the exclusion of other tragic
parts in which she was equally celebrated.
| If any of our readers have not been in a
theater until they were about the age of
Hector, they will be able to realize the
very powerful sensuous effect the music,
beautiful scenery, bright dresses and decor
atoms had on his Imagination, and how
| they conduced to give full effect to the
sense of bewlldered admiration he felt
when the curtain rose on the banaueting
| hall in Capulet's house and the fair
/ daughters of Capulet. How feebly, ii
seemed to him, did Romeo express his
feelings in saying:
| O, she doth teach the torches TO burn bright
| 1t seems she hangs upon the cheek OF night
| Like rich jewel in an 4fthiopes ear:
| Beauty too rich for use for earth too dear
Mademoiselle d Esterre's physical quail
| fications for the part were superb. Her
countenance, which was Italian in cast OF
features and complexion, boosted of pair
| of TBS OF the deepest violet black. Large
and lustrous, they were mobile and express
sive in the highest degree. When they
| first rested on Romeos form. they di-
lated with the eager fire ofsouthern passion
and as quickly dropped in maidenly con-
| fusion and modesty. Her whole attitude
| showed she felt she had met her destiny
and before she had even spoken a syllable
the audience felt they were under the spell
| OF an enchantress. Then, with what sinl-
\ pie, natural dignity did she invest the few
| words the girl-lover addresses to love-
stricken Romeo, already commencing
his love-making as holy palmer From
| the moment the curtain was raised until il
| descended at tie end of the fifth act Hector
sat spellbound, oblivious to everything on
earth save the scenes that were being
enacted on the stage. His companions had
to arouse him when it became time to quit
the theater.
well. Mackinnon,' said Charley Smith
what do you think of the 'Esterre
| Jolly-like girl. isn't she?"
Don't speak of the young lady in that
vulgar way" he replied. i am certain
that girl is as pure and good as Juliet
was
al am not saying word against her
nobody can do that his companion re-
joined. surely, surely, you've not got hit
with her charms-you, of all men,
Hector was in no mood for badinage at
that moment" and, pleading a headache,
he hurried off TO his lodgings. He could
not imagine what was the matter; but
! after tossing all night uneasily in bed
he had to confess TO himself next
morning that he, Hector Mackinnon-the
p. budding clergyman, the lifelong hater OF
things theatrical and Bohemianisms OF
every sort-had fallen hopelessly and ire
trievably in love with an actress he had
seen for the first and only time few hours
ago. There was no use in trying to dis
guse the truth himself; he felt--or tan
CleQ lie Itll, WDicn comes To ElucQ the
same thing-that life without possession OF
this lair divinity would not be worth liv-
Jog: but that, with her by his side, the
toughest tempest that fate could send
would feel like gentle, wooing zephyrs.
1t was not to be expected that this state
of matters could long remain secret from
Hector's companions. His theses and
| themes remained unwritten his answers
to the Professors questions were of the
most incoherent description, and at last he
| discontinued his attendance at college alto
/ gether. Inheriting a considerable share oil
/ his fathers stern determination, he was
not of q nature to suffer in silence the
agonies of a secret and unrequited passion.
The inspirer of the consuming yet delicious
! flame which burned within his bosom must
. he admitted, be some few years older than
himself; for had she not been celebrity
in her profession for over dozen years
now? Well, what of that? Was that any
reason why he should deny himself the
lifelong compsnionship of the only woman
, he ever loved or could love? To marry her
meant, he knew, an open rupture with his
! father and the abandonment of his
ministerial career; but were these trifies
| for one moment TO be weighed in the
balance against the pure and unalloyed
| bliss of lifetime spent in the society OF
his darling? No-a thousand times, no
| In this wise did be reason with himself as
many lover has done before, and, we may
safely predict will do again. His life had
now only one object. and that was to gain